Visual signal means for a fire detection alarm

ABSTRACT

A visual signal means for a fire detection alarm device in which a flag-type signal means is normally biased into exposed, readily visible position to indicate that the driving or spring motor is not fully wound or energized. A latch member, responsive to the spring motor during its final winding into fully energized condition, positions the latch member at that time for latchable engagement with the flag means when manually positioned in nonexposed relation with respect to the alarm; the flag means being virtually immediately exposable upon initial unwinding action of the spring motor by release of the latch member which immediately responds to such initial unwinding action.

United States Patent 1,949,856 3/ 934 Blakeslee....................2,085,860 7/ 937 Lambert...... 2,563,877 Sfreddo....... 2,632,887 3/ 953Rusmak...... 2,999,477 9/ 961 Prattet Primary Examiner-Louis J. CapoziAtlorneyMiketta,G1enny, Poms & Smith Inventors Richard D. Ranney HermosaBeach; Eldridge H. Smiley, Rosemead, Calif. [2]] Appl. No. 841,206

July 14, 1969 Patented Jan. 5, 1971 Assignee Emdeko Distributing Inc.

Salt Lake City, Utah a corporation of Utah ALARM 221 Filed 54 VISUALSIGNAL MEANS FOR A FIRE DETECTION 1,189,915 7/1916 116/106suchinitialunwindingaction.

PATENTEBJAH 519?! 3,552,350

SHEET 1 OF 2 mmi m PMENTED JAN 5197i SHEET 2 [IF 2 INVENTO/QJ.

VA/EV fLEr VISUAL SIGNAL MEANS FOR A FIRE DETECTION ALARM BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION Prior proposed fire detection alarm devices have includedmechanically s wound spring motors or drive means in which variousarrangements have been proposed for indicating the wound or unwoundcondition of the spring motor. Such mechanical spring motors may beenergized orwound to varying degrees. In some prior proposed devices, asignal element for indicating the wound condition of the spring motorwas often not immediately responsive to unwinding of the motor. In US.Pat. No. 2,999,477, a flag indicator includes a sensing arm bearingcontinuously against the outer turn of a spiral spring motor and as thediameter of the turn of the spiral spring changes during actuation ofthe alarm the flag is urged outwardly into view in a gradual manner.Initial movement of the flag is relatively small and the entire flag isnot immediately exposed. In copending application Ser. No. 761,433,filed Sept. 23, I968, now patented owned by a common assignee of thepresent application, a flag includes an arm which may not contact theouter turn of a spiral spring but which is urged into exposed positionby contact with a portion of a rotatable spring housing.

It is very important that such alarm devices clearly and positively showwhether the alarm is fully wound or in fully energized condition or inless than a fully energized condition. Where such information as to thecondition of the alarm is-not readily immediately indicated by a flagdevice, the existence of a partially unwound spring motor reduces theeffectiveness of the alarm system and reflects upon the capability ofthe alarm device to ring its alarm for a preselected warning period oftime. To provide adequate warning by an audible signal, arbitrarystandards require a minimum of 4 minutes of ringing at a decibel rangeof between 85 to 95. It is therefore highly desirable that the flagindicate the that the spring motor is'not fully wound upon the slightestunwinding of the spring motor so that the maximum alarm ringing periodwill always be available in the event of a fire. Prompt rewinding andmaintenance of the alarm in fully wound condition is necessary whenindicated by the flag signal. Prior proposed visual flagtype alarmsignals for mechanically wound spring-type alarms have included variousdevices responsive to the condition of the spring motor but have notbeen constructed and arranged so that slightest dissipation of theenergized condition of the spring motor will be visually indicated bymovement of the flag or signal into visible exposed position.

The present invention contemplates a novel, quick acting visual signalmeans for a mechanical alarm having a spring motor whereby fully woundcondition is indicated by nonexposure or concealment of a flag signalmeans and whereby an initial slight change out of fully wound conditionimmediately releases the flag signal means into exposed visible positionindicating that rewinding is necessary. The invention contemplates sucha visual signal indicating'means which may be employed with varioustypes of mechanicalalarm signal means in which a spring motor of spiralspring type is employed. The invention contemplates a novel arrangementwhereby the visual indicating means cannot be moved into unexposedconcealed position and retained in such position until and unless thespring motor is in its virtually fully wound and energized condition.

The primary object of the present invention is to disclose and provide anovel visual signal means for indicating the condition of an alarmdevice.

An object of the present inventionis to disclose and provide a novelconstruction and arrangementfor a visual signal indicating means for amechanical alarm device wherein the visual signal indicating means isnot held in nonexposed position until a preselected wound condition ofthe spring motor exists.

Another object of the present invention is to disclose and provide avisual signal indicating means for a mechanical alarm device which isimmediately released and exposed upon the commencement of the unwindingor deenergization of the spring motor.

A further object of the present invention is to disclose and provide avisual signal indicating means for a mechanical alarm device whereinmeans responsive to the change in condition of the spring motor isimmediately operable to release the concealed flag means for movementinto an exposed position indicating unwound condition of the springmotor.

A still further object of the present invention is to disclose andprovide a novel flag signal means for an alarm device wherein the flag dsignal is pivotally mounted and a latch member extends from the springmotor to the flag signal means and is normally biased into nonengageableposition with the flag signal, and is urged into engageable positionwith the flag signal by final energization of the spring motor intofully wound condition. I

Other advantages and objects of the present invention will be readilyapparent from the following description of the drawings in which anexemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of an alarm device embodying thisinvention, the view being partially in section which is taken in alongitudinal plane passing through the axis of the device;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken in the plane indicated byline II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken in the planeindicated by line III-III of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the plane indicated inline IV-IV of FIG. 2.

In the drawings a mechanical alarm device embodying the presentinvention is shown associated with the alarm construction of copendingpatent application Ser. No. 761,433 owned by a common assignee of bothapplications. The mechanical alarm device shown is exemplary only and itis understood that other types of mechanical alarms embodying springmotors or their equivalent may be readily adapted to employ the visualsignal means of the present invention.

The alarm device indicated at 10 is partially shown and generallycomprises an outer rotatable housing or cover 12 rotatable about an axisat 14 which coincides with the axis of a rotatable spring motor or drivemeans 15. Drive means 15 may be held against rotation in one directionby a ratchet and pawl means generally indicated at 16 and againstrotation in the opposite direction by a trigger member 17 which may bemoved to release position by a pin 18, one end of which is cooperablyassociated with a thermostat brinetallic disc 19 carried at the frontface of cover 12. In general, release of trigger 17 permits the springmotor- 15 to unwind and to transmit its driving force through a geartrain into rotation of a hammer actuating member 21 upon which a pair ofswingable hammers 22 are mounted which strike one end of a pin 23, theother end of which forcibly strikes against the inner surface of thecover 12 for sounding the alarm. The ratchet and pawl means 16, triggermember 17, spring motor lS, and hammer actuating means 21, 22 and pin 23are normally disposed within a sealed inner casing 24. The constructiongenerally mentioned above, except for the location of the pawl means, issimilar to the construction of a mechanical alarm shown and claimed inthe aforesaid application Ser. No. 76l ,433, and for brevity is notfurther described in detail herein.-

The visual signal indicating means of the present invention will now bedescribed and may comprise a hub 30 coaxial with the axis 14 of thecover 12 and spring motor 15 and having mounted thereon for rotationwith the hub a ratchet 31 provided with ratchet teeth 32.

Means for cooperably interconnecting the drive means 15 with a visualsignal indicating means or flag means 34 may comprise a drive meansresponsive or latch member 36 having an opening 37 for coaxiallymounting one end portion 38 of the member 36 on hub 30 for nonrotationtherewith.

The member therewith. The member 36 carries pawl 39 pivotally mountedthereon as at 40 and having its end face 41 engageable with a tooth 32for restraining the ratchet against rotation in one direction andthereby restraining the spring motor against rotation in that direction.The pawl 39 is biased against ratchet 32 by a spring 42 fixed to member36 by a suitable screw at 43. Pressure forces of spring motor 15 aretransmitter through hub 30 and ratchet 32 to pawl 39.

Latch member 36 extends radially outwardly from the axis 14 and may ingeneral follow the contour of the inner housing 24 so as to pass betweenspring motor 15 and the inner surface of housing 24 to a circumferentialportion of base member 47 upon which flag member 34 is mounted. Member36 includes an offset portion 44 which terminates in a radiallyoutwardly extending latch end portion 45 which may be antifrictionallylimitedly movably mounted from base member 47 of the inner housing by arockable pin 48. Pin 48 may be rockably mounted on base 47 by a reducedend section 49 which is loosely receivable within a port 50 in basemember 47. A similar rockable arrangement is provided at the oppositeend of pin 48 wherein a reduced end section 51 extends loosely within aport 52 provided in latch end portion 45. Thus limited movement of latchend portion 45 of the member 36 is provided without substantialfrictional resistance thereto.

Means for biasing latch member 36 into a normally nonengageable positionwith flag means 34 may comprise a spring means 53 connected at one endat 54 to latch member 36 and connected at its other end at 55 to asuitable post 56 provided on base member 47. Adjacent the pin 48, basemember 47 may be provided with a stub member 57 provided with a stopface 58 for limiting movement of member 36 in one direction, member 36being normally biased by spring 53 thereagainst.

Flag means 34 may comprise an arm 60 (FIG. 4) having one end 61 securedby a screw 62 to a pivot pin 63 pivotally mounted in a boss 64 providedon base member 47. The opposite end of pivot pin 63 carries a latchelement 65 secured to pin 63 by a suitable screw 66. Latch element 65and arm 60 are secured in fixed relation to pivot pin 63. Latch element65 includes an angularly disposed extension 67 providing a connection at68 for one end of a flag biasing spring 69 which may be secured as at 70to the base member 47. Spring 69 normally biases flag 34 into exposed,readily visible position beyond the circumference of the cover 12 of thealarm. Such outward exposure of flag 34 may be limited by a stop element72 (FIG. 1) projecting from base member 47 for contact with flag 34.

' Before describing operation of the visual signal means of the presentinvention it should be noted that the spring motor or drive means 15 isprovided with an additional spring member 75 positioned within the outerturn 76 of the spiral spring 77 comprising the spring motor 15. One endof the additional spring member 75 may be secured at 78 to the springhousing and may extend for a selected length along outer turn 76, inthis example, the length being approximately three-fourths of a turn.Spring member 75 serves to increase thetension or spring force justprior to the fully wound condition of the spring motor 15. An examexemplary spring force at the final stage of the spring windup may bedoubled. Spring 77 preferably is provided with a substantially uniformspring ten sion or spring unwinding rate throughout its unwinding actionsuch as approximately l pounds. The installation of a spring member 75at the outermost turn of spring 77 serves to provide a preselectedspring force such as approximately 20 pounds at or during the laststages of the last turn of the spring motor when it is wound to fullyenergized condition. Such increase in spring force is important withrespect to operation of this device as now described.

In operation, the spring motor may be wound to fully energized conditionby rotating outer cover 12 which causes spiral spring 77 to be woundmore tightly about hub 30 and which rotates ratchet 32. During windingpawl 39 slips over the teeth 32. The latch member 36 maintains itsnormal nonlatching position because of its biasing spring 53 whichduring a substantial part of the winding operation exerts a spring forceon the latch member 36 greater than that exerted by the spring 77through engagement of. teeth 32 withlatch element 39 in the eventrotation of cover 12 is momentarily stopped. When the cover is rotatedinto the final stage of its last turn, spring member 75 becomeseffective to increase the spring force of spring 77 so as to overcomethe spring force of biasing spring 53 so that latch member 36 will bemoved in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3 into a latchableposition as indicated in FIG. 3 by phantom lines. As the cover is turnedinto final wound position,.the flag 34 may be manually rotated towardand into the alarm device against its biasing spring 69. As latchelement 65 passes over the opposed edge face of latch end portion 45 thelatch member 36 will latchably engage as at 79 the shoulder formed bylatch recess 80 in latch end portion 45. Flag 34 will thus be retainedwithin the circumference of the alarm device and will be concealed. Itwill be noted that flag 34 is incapable of being latched to latch member36 until latch member 36 has bee moved by action of the spring member 75which at the last stage of spring wind up overcomes the biasing spring53. Non visibility of flag 34 thus indicates positively that the springmotor is in fully wound or energized condition.

When the thermostat disc 19 is actuated by response to a selectedtemperature'such as 135 F., the disc 19 moves pin 18 to displace trigger17 to release the hammer actuating means 21, 22 and to thereby permitthe spring motor to commence unwinding. Just as soon as the spring forceof spring motor 15 begins to be diminished by suchunwinding, the springforce maintaining latch member 36 in latched engagement with latchelement 65 is reduced so that biasing spring 53 overcomes the springforce of the spring motor and causesflag 34 to be biased immediatelyinto viewable exposed position. It should be noted that dissipation ofthe spring force of spring motor 15 as it commences to unwind permitsthe latch arm 36 which is responsive to such force to move in acounterclockwise direction and the latchable interengagement of element65 with portion 45 is quickly disengaged.

' It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the offsetting ofthe spring forces of spring motor 15 and flag biasing spring 53 togetherwith an arrangement of latchable elements a may be employed with othertypes of mechanical spring controlled alarm devices. Thus, the visualsignal indicating means of the present invention may be employed onother alarm devices. 1; g

It should be noted that the pawl 39 serves 'to transmit the spring forceof spring 77 to the latch' arm 36 and that movement of the latch endportion 45 of arm 36 is facilitated the rockable mounting of its endportion on mounting element 48.

Tolerance between ends of pin 48 and base member 47 and latch endportion 45 may be sufficiently sloppy so that the latch end portion 45is readily limitedly movable without frictional restraint.

Modifications and changes coming within the scope of the appended claimsare embraced thereby.

We claim: 1. In combination with a mechanical alarm device including aspring motor provided with means to restrain rotation in one direction;the provision of:

flag means normally biased into exposed position for indicating at leastpartially unwound condition of said condition of said spring motor andincluding a latch element; a latch member having one end portion thereofcooperably associated with said restraint means and the other endportion thereof limitedly movable; spring means biasing said latchmember into a position normally none'ngageable with said flag means; andmeans cooperable with said spring motor to move said latch memberagainst its biasing spring means into latchable position for engagementwith said latch element on said flag means, and upon initial change ofsaid spring motor from fully wound condition to partial wound conditionto .limiting movement of said other end portion of said latch member.

5. A device as stated in claim 1 wherein said restraint means includes aratchet and a pawl, said pawl being carried on said one end portion ofsaid latch member. a

6. An immediately responsive visual indicating means for fire detectionalarm device or the like to visually indicate the energized condition ofsaid alarm, the combination of:

drive means for said alarm;

a visual indicating member for said alarm;

means for cooperably interconnecting said drive means and said visualindicating member including a drive means responsive member; and

means connected with said responsive member normally holding the latterin nonengageable position with respect to said visual indicating memberuntil said drive means is fully energized.

7. A device as stated in claim 6 including a ratchet connected with saiddrive means and a pawl carried by said responsive member fortransmitting the condition of said drive means to said indicatingmember. I

8. A device as stated in claim 6 including a spring means connected tosaid responsive member normally biasing said responsive member againstsaid drive means.

9. A device as stated in claim 6 including means for limitedly movablymounting one end of said responsive member between engaged andnonengaged relationship with said visual indicating member.

10. In combination with an alarm device; the provision of:

drive means having a fully energized condition for said alarm device;

visual signal means having an exposed and unexposed position mounted onsaid alarm device; and

means interconnecting said drive means and said visual signal means andresponsive to the condition of the drive means to hold the visual signalmeans in unexposed position only when said drive means is in fullyenergized condition.

, UNITED STA'lES P ATE NT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION;

Patent No. 50 Dated nuary 5, 1971 In e t Richard D. Ranney and EldridgeH. Smiley It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent is hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 2, after"mechanically" delete [s] Column 2, line 14,after "flag", delete [d] Column 3, line 3, delete[The member therewith.]same column 3, line 59, delete [exam] Column 4, line 21, delete [bee]and insert --been-- same column 4, line 44, delete [a] same column 4,lines 64 and 65, delete [of said condition] Signed and sealed this 29thday of February 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD I LFLE'I'CHERJR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents

1. In combination with a mechanical alarm device including a springmotor provided with means to restrain rotation in one direction; theprovision of: flag means normally biased into exposed position forindicating at least partially unwound condition of said condition ofsaid spring motor and including a latch element; a latch member havingone end portion thereof cooperably associated with said restraint meansand the other end portion thereof limitedly movable; spring meansbiasing said latch member into a position normally nonengageable withsaid flag means; and means cooperable with said spring motor to movesaid latch member against its biasing spring means into latchableposition for engagement with said latch element on said flag means, andupon initial change of said spring motor from fully wound condition topartial wound condition to immediately release said latch member fromsaid latch element to cause said flag means to be exposed.
 2. An alarmdevice as stated in claim 1 wherein said means cooperable with saidspring motor includes means for increasing tension of said spring motorjust prior to fully energized condition of the spring motor.
 3. An alarmdevice as stated in claim 1 including means for antifrictionallymounting said other end portion of said latch member.
 4. A device asstated in claim 1 including stop means for limiting movement of saidother end portion of said latch member.
 5. A device as stated in claim 1wherein said restraint means includes a ratchet and a pawl, said pawlbeing carried on said one end portion of said latch member.
 6. Animmediately responsive visual indicating means for a fire detectionalarm device or the like to visually indicate the energized condition ofsaid alarm, the combination of: drive means for said alarm; a visualindicating member for said alarm; means for cooperably interconnectingsaid drive means and said visual indicating member including a drivemeans responsive member; and means connected with said responsive membernormally holding the latter in nonengageable position with respect tosaid visual indicating member until said drive means is fully energized.7. A device as stated in claim 6 including a ratchet connected with saiddrive means and a pawl carried by said responsive member fortransmitting the condition of said drive means to said indicatingmember.
 8. A device as stated in claim 6 including a spring meansconnected to said responsive member normally biasing said responsivemember against said drive means.
 9. A device as stated in claim 6including means for limitedly movably mounting one end of saidresponsive member between engaged and nonengaged relationship with saidvisual indicating member.
 10. In combination with an alarm device; theprovision of: drive means having a fully energized condition for saidalarm deviCe; visual signal means having an exposed and unexposedposition mounted on said alarm device; and means interconnecting saiddrive means and said visual signal means and responsive to the conditionof the drive means to hold the visual signal means in unexposed positiononly when said drive means is in fully energized condition.